Basil

An aromatic annual plant, Ocimum basilicum, a member of the mint family. This herb is native to India, dear to the Provençals and the Italians, and considered a sacred herb in many cultures. Its name means "royal", from the Greek basilikon (perhaps indicating that the herb was reserved for the king's use), but in the Roman world, the Latin basilicus refers to the basilisk, a fire-breathing dragon, perhaps in the belief that the plant was a charm against the beast. Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, a 17th-century botanist, gives us the following anecdote: "A certain Gentleman from Siena being wonderfully taken and delighted with the smell of Basil, was wont very frequently to take the Powder of the dried Herb and snuff it up his Nose; but in a short Time he turn'd mad and died; and his Head being opened by Surgeons, there was found a Nest of Scorpions in his Brain."

The Hindu people worship basil, which they consider a sacred herb and dedicate to the gods Vishnu and Krishna. Sprigs of the plant at one time were laid on the breast of the dead to protect them from evil in the next world and to offer them entrance to paradise. Even today, a good Hindu is laid out with a basil leaf in his hand. During the British occupation of India, officials were looking for something sacred for Indians to swear by for courtroom oaths, and the sacred basil plant was chosen for the vow.

In ancient Greece, basil represented hate, and to hand a sprig of it to an individual was to silently convey the message "Beware, someone is plotting against you." In Roman times, women were not allowed to pick it. The priest in charge of the cutting had to purify his right hand with water from two different springs, sprinkled over the hand with an oak branch. He had to be dressed in new garments, without anything made of metal on his person, and menstruating women were forbidden to approach him. According to legend, Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, was told in a dream that she would find the remains of the true Christ's cross in a place where the air was scented with perfume. The dream came true when she found the cross buried in a patch of basil.

Of all annuals, basil is the most interesting, both in its many varieties and in the legends and beliefs that have sprung up around it. According to the Roman historian Pliny, "Basil must be sown by curses; muttered if you have near neighbors, but genuine nonetheless, and if the earth is rammed down and prayers uttered that the seeds never come up, so much the better." In Italy, it's said that a pot of basil on the window drives away flies. As it was also the custom for a young girl to set a pot of basil in the window to signal her lover that she was ready for his clandestine visit, it seems inevitable that, at times, some most disconcerting confusion must have arisen. Basil is also used to flavor the liqueur Chartreuse.

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